Spring unit construction



June 27, 1%? M. SEMON SPRING UNIT CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 6, 1966 f 2; 4 6 A? U I I I I I p IIJQI'I'DII" I I 1:17-1:13:

United States Patent 3,327,331 SPRING UNIT CONSTRUCTION Max Simon, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Serta Associates, Inc Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 532,484 6 Claims. (Cl. -351) This invention relates to a spring unit construction and more particularly to an improved reinforcement for a spring unit of the type employed in mattress or box spring constructions.

A mattress or box spring should provide a uniformly resilient supporting surface. It has been found, however, that the edges and corners :of a mattress or box spring will often be required to support concentrated loads, and various reinforcements of the edges and other portions of the unit have been attempted in the past.

Edge stabilizing devices, for example, have been employed between the top and bottom border wires of spring units in order to give to the edge portions of the unit greater strength and greater resistance to deformation. While improving the strength of the unit at its edges, such devices do not reinforce the other portions of the unit, and as a result some discomfort to the user may occur due to the localizing of the reinforcement at the edges.

Moreover, in a mattress or box spring construction, a number of edge stabilizers are usually required, adding to the cost of assembling the spring units and often complicating their shipment in compressed form from the spring unit manufacturing facility to the mattress and box spring manufacturing facility. Then too, the usual edge stabilizers reinforce only to the extent of their own resilience, and since they do not generally operate to distribute the load, they do not provide the most efficient use of all parts of the unit.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved spring unit construction having a reinforcement which will not only support the edges and ends of the mattress but which will also give substantial support to the corners and to the portions of the mattress disposed inwardly from the edges and the ends.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a spring unit having a reinforcement which coacts with the other parts of the unit to efiiciently distribute the loads applied thereto.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spring unit which has a more uniformly reinforced resilient supporting surface.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a spring unit construction which may be easily and economically assembled and which will give a high degree of resilient load distributing support at the edges and corners thereof. It is still another object of this invention to provide a spring unit having an improved reinforcement which will effectively tie the ends and edges of the unit together in a manner to give maximum support and comfort to the person resting upon the mattress or box spring in which the unit is employed.

Other objects will be seen and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention,

3,327,331 Patented June 27, 1967 "ice the spring unit construction comprises a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in longitudinal columns and transverse rows. The top and bottom end convolutes of the springs are disposed within and define top and bottom parallel support planes. A pair of substantially rectangular border frames are disposed respectively in the top and bottom support planes, each frame having edge portions and end portions and extending about the coil springs along the outer edges of the end convolutes in the terminal transverse rows and terminal longitudinal columns respectively. Means preferably in the form of transversely extending helical tie wires are provided for tying the end convolutes of the longitudinally and transversely adjacent coils together in the top and bottom support planes.

A pair of fiat band polygonal reinforcing members are disposed exteriorly adjacent the border frames in top and bottom support planes respectively. Each reinforcing member has a pair of longitudinally extending rectilinear side portions, a pair of integral transversely extending rectilinear end portions and four integral rectilinear connecting portions which extend diagonally and interconnect the side portions and end portions of the reinforcing member. The side and end portions of each reinforcing member are shorter than the edge and end portions respectively of the border frames, and the reinforcing members are each disposed with their side and end portions in central superposed relationship with respect to the edge and end portions respectively of their adjacent border frame. The connecting portions of the reinforcing member extend diagonally across the four respective corners of the frame and thus overlie several interiorly disposed coil springs adjacent the corners. The border frames, the superposed side and end portions of the polygonal reinforcing members, and the outer edges of the end convolutes in the terminal rows and longitudinal columns of springs, are all interconnected preferably by means of helical tie wires.

With reference to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a spring unit constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end elevational view of the construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 and.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of a portion of the construction taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 1.

With further reference to the drawings, the spring unit construction 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 includes a set of coil springs 12 arranged in a rectangular pattern in spaced longitudinal aligned columns and in juxtaposed transversely aligned rows. Each coil spring 12 has a pair of end convolutes 12a and 12b as best illustrated in FIG. 2. The end convolutes of the springs are disposed within and define a pair of spaced parallel support planes. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the top convolutes 12a lie within and define a top support plane, and the bottom convolutes 12b lie Within and define a bottom support plane.

Extending about the set of coil springs 12 are two wire border frames 16 and 18, respectively. These border frames are substantially rectangular, conforming closely to the substantially rectangular pattern of the coil spring set. Border frame 16 is disposed within or immediately and exteriorly adjacent the top support plane defined by top convolutes 12a, and border frame 18 is disposed within or is immediately and exteriorly adjacent the bottom support plane defined by the end convolutes 12b. Each of the border frames 16 and 18 has a pair of parallel longitudinal edge portions 20 and 22 and a pair of parallel transverse end portions 24 and 26. Border frame 16 is disposed with its edge portions 20 and 22 extending along the outer edges of the top end convolutes of the coil springs 12 in the terminal longitudinal columns thereof and its end portions 24 and 26 extending along the outer edges of the top end convolutes of the springs 12 in the terminal transverse rows thereof.

The coil springs 12 may be tied together by means such as the transversely extending helical tie wires 28..-

It will be noted, that these tie wires unite the juxtaposed springs in the longitudinal columns of springs and they also. unite the adjacent springs in the transverse rows.

A feature of this invention is the provision of improved reinforcing means. This reinforcing means includes at least one. and preferably two continuous reinforcing members 3,0 and 32'. When two reinforcing members are used as in the illustrated, embodiment, it is preferred that the polygonal members 30 and 32 be identical, although this is. not essential. The reinforcing members 30"and 32 are formed of flat steel band material, and each includes a pair of longitudinally extending rectilinear side portions 34 and 36 and a pair of integral generally transversely extending intermediate portions 38 and 40 which interconnect the side, portions 34 and 36. The reinforcing members are respectively disposed exteriorly' adjacent, i.e., in overlying or superposed relation with respect to, the top and bottom supporting surfaces of the unit. The side portions 34 and 36 of the reinforcing members are disposed centrally in superposed relation with respect to. the edge portions 20v and 22 of the respective border frames 16 and 18, and the intermediate portions 38 and 40 of each member extend across the adjacent corners 42 of the border frame and into superposed, relation with a centrally disposed length of the end portions 24 and 26 of the frame respectively.

The reinforcing members 30 and 32 maybe polygonal andin the preferred and. illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing members are octagonal in shape, with the intermediate portions 38 of these members consisting of an end part 44 and a pair" of diagonal connecting parts 46 and 48. The opposite intermediate portions 40 of the reinforcing members also each= consist of an end part: 50 and a pair of diagonal connecting parts 52 and 54. The end part 44 is the part of the connecting portion 38 that is superposed over the centrally disposed length of border frame end portion 24, and the parts 46 and 48 are those which extend diagonally across the two adjacent corners of the frame. In like manner end, part 50 is the part of connecting portion 40 which is superposed over the centrally disposed length of border frame end portion 26, and the parts 52 and 54 are those which extend across the adjacent corners of the frame. In other words, thediagonal connecting parts 46, 48, 52, and 54 of; each reinforcing member extend across the corners 42 of the respective, border frame to connect the side portions 34 and 36 to the end parts 44. and 50 of the reinforcing member.

As previously stated, the reinforcing members 30 and 32 are formed of, a flat band material so that they will lie flatly on the underlying portions of the border frame and so that the diagonally extending portions 46, 48, 52,

and 54 will lie flatly across the top convolutes 12a and the bottom convolutes 12b and will not produce uncomfortable diagonal ridges in the construction.

The superposedportions of polygonal reinforcing members 30 and 32 are tied to their respective border frames 16 and 18. respectively and the border frames are in turn connected to the spring convolutes 12a and 12b in the terminal transverse rows and longitudinal columns of springs by suitable means such as the helical tie wires 56 and 58 best illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. If desired, the top convolutes of the springs in the transverse rows and longitudinal columns maybe wrapped about the border frame and possibly even the reinforcing member.

4 Awrap around construction is taught, for example, in Wuest Patent No. 2,885,693.

The polygonal reinforcing bands 30 and 32 serve to substantially reinforce the spring unit construction. A concentrated load applied at the edge of the unit, as for example over either border frame edge portion 20 or 22, will be supported not only by the adjacent terminal longitudinal column of coil springs, but it will also be supported by the other portions of the unit across which the reinforcing member 30 extends. Any downward deflection of the side portion 34 of the reinforcing member 30, for example, will tend to produce a downward deflection of the diagonally extending connecting portions 48 and 54 and an inward movement of the ends 44 and 50 of the reinforcing member. The illustrated and preferred octagonal shape of the reinforcing member is of particular advantage in this respect, for no side or end portion of the reinforcing member can move downwardly under an applied load without producing a downward pull across the adjacent corners and an inward pull on the other side and end portions. Since several coil springs are spanned by each diagonal part 46, 48, 52, and 54, these coil springs resist the downward deflection of the reinforcing member at the corners. Any load applied directly at the corners will be resisted not only by these spanned corner coil springs, but also by all the forces that would resiliently resist inward pulling of the ends and sides of both the frame and the reinforcing member. The helical tie wires 56 and 58 would, for example, provide a substantial resilient resistance to any such inward pull. Thus the reinforcing members serve to distribute the loads applied to the corners and ends of the mattress or box spring. These portions of the unit are reinforced without adding any discomforting vertical stiffening and in a manner which makes the most efficient use of all resilient parts of the unit.

It is preferred that the side portions 34 and 36 of each reinforcing member be slightly longer than the end parts 44 and 50 of that member, with best results occurring when the reinforcing member end parts 44 and 50 are on the order of about one-third the length of the end portions 24 and 26 of the border frames and the reinforcing member side portions 34 and 36 are slightly less than one-third of the length of edge portions 20 and 22 of the border frames.

The dimensions of the various elements may, of course, be varied to produce various degrees of reinforcement. In a mattress construction it is, of course, desirable to-have both sides of the mattress the same and, consequently, two reinforcing members 30 and 32 would generally be required. However, in a box spring construction, it may be preferred. to have only one reinforcing member, that member being at the top of the unit as is the case of the illus trated reinforcing member 30.

It may be seen that the spring unit construction made inaccordance with this invention has approved reinforce. ment which will provide supportat the edges and over a substantially inwardly disposed area of the mattress or box spring in which the construction is used. A minimum number of parts are employed and the structure may be easily and economically manufactured. The reinforcement utilizes the resilience of parts whichare already present in the usual mattress or box spring construction, cooperating therewith to producea most efficient and effective reinforcement.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that many modifications and changes in various details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter-claimed.

I claim:

1. A spring unit construction comprising a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in longitudinal columns and transverse rows, the end convolutes of the springs being disposed within and defining first and second parallel support planes, first and second substantially rectangular border frames disposed in said first and second support planes respectively, each frame having edge portions and end portions extending along the outer edges of the end convolutes of the coil springs in the terminal transverse rows and the terminal longitudinal columns respectively, means in said first and second support planes for tying the end convolutes of the longitudinally and transversely adjacent coils together, at least one continuous closed-figure reinforcing member having a pair of rectilinear side portions and a pair of integral intermediate portions interconnecting the corresponding ends of said side portions, said reinforcing member side portions being shorter than and disposed centrally in superposed relation with respect to the edge portions of one of said border frames, each reinforcing member intermediate portion extending across the adjacent corners of said one border frame into superposed relation with a centrally disposed length of the adjacent end portion of said frame, and tie wires helically encircling and interconnecting said border frames, the superposed side and intermediate portions of said reinforcing members and the outer edges of said end convolutes in the terminal transverse rows and longitudinal columns.

2. A spring unit construction comprising a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in spaced longitudinal columns and juxtaposed transverse rows, means for tying the adjacent springs in said set together, a pair of rectangular border frames extending about said coil spring set at the top and bottom edges thereof respectively, a pair of continuous closed-figure flat band reinforcing members disposed respectively at the top and bottom of the set of springs, each member having a pair of rectilinear side portions and a pair of integral intermediate portions interconnecting the corresponding ends of said side portions, each reinforcing member being disposed adjacent a respective one of said border frames, with the side portions and parts of the intermediate portions of each reinforcing member being in superposed relation with respect to corresponding portions of the respective border frame and with other parts of the reinforcing member intermediate portions extending across the adjacent corners of the respective border frame, and tie wires helically encircling and resiliently interconnecting said border frames, the superposed side and intermediate portions of said flat reinforcing members and the portions of the springs at the edges and ends of said set.

3. A spring unit construction comprising a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in longitudinal columns and transverse rows, the end convolutes of the springs being disposed within and defining first and second parallel support planes, first and second substantially rectangular border frames disposed in said first and second support planes respectively, each frame having edge portions and end portions extending along the outer edges of the end convolutes of the coil springs in the terminal transverse rows and the terminal longitudinal columns respectively, means in said first and second support planes for tying the end convolutes of the longitudinally and transversely adjacent coils together, a pair of continuous polygonal bands each disposed in exteriorly juxtaposed relation with respect to a respective one of said support planes, each reinforcing member having a pair of longitudinally extending rectilinear side portions, a pair of integral transversely extending rectilinear end portions and four integral connecting portions, said reinforcing member side portions and end portions being shorter than edge portions and end portions respectively of said border frames, and said reinforcing members being disposed with their side portions and end portions in superposed relation with respect to the central parts of the edge and end portions of the respective border frames, the reinforcing member connecting portions extending across the four corners of the respective frames, and tie wires helically encircling and interconnecting said border frames, the superposed side and end portions of said reinforcing members and the outer edges of said convolutes in the terminal transverse rows and longitudinal columns.

4. A spring unit construction comprising a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in longitudinal columns and transverse rows, the end convolutes of the springs being disposed within and defining first and second parallel support planes, first and second substantially rectangular border frames disposed in said first and second support planes respectively, each frame having edge portions and end potrions extending along the outer edges of the end convolutes of the coil springs in the terminal transverse rows and the terminal longitudinal columns respectively, means in said first and second support planes for tying the end convolutes of the longitudinally and transversely adjacent coils together, at least one continuous flat band octagonal reinforcing member having a pair of rectilinear longitudinally extending first side portions, a pair of integral transversely extending rectilinear end portions, and four integral rectilinear connecting portions, said reinforcing member first side portions and end portions being shorter than and disposed centrally in superposed relation with respect to the edge portions and end portions respectively of one of said border frames, the reinforcing member connecting portions extending diagonally across the four corners of said one frame, and means interconnecting said border frames, the superposed first side and end potrions of said reinforcing member, and the outer edges of said end convolutes in the terminal transverse rows and longitudinal columns.

5. A spring unit construction comprising a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in longitudinal columns and transverse rows, the end convolutes of the springs being disposed within and defining first and second parallel support planes, first and second substantially rectangular border frames disposed in said first and second support planes respectively, each frame having edge portions and end portions extending along the outer edges of the end convolutes of the coil springs in the terminal transverse rows and the terminal longitudinal columns respectively, means in said first and second support planes for tying the end convolutes of the longitudinally and transversely adjacent coils together, a pair of continuous fiat band octagonal reinforcing members, each member having a pair of rectilinear longitudinally extending first side portions, a pair of transversely extending rectilinear end portions, and four integral rectilinear connecting portions, said reinforcing member first side portions and end being shorter than and disposed in central superposed relation with respect to the edge portions and end portions respectively of a respective one of said border frames, the reinforcing member connecting portions extending diagonally across the four corners of said one frame, and means interconnecting said border frames, the superposed first side and end portions of said reinforcing member, and the outer edges of said end convolutes in the terminal transverse rows and longitudinal columns.

6. A spring unit construction comprising a set of coil springs arranged in a rectangular pattern in longitudinal columns and transverse rows, the end convolutes of the springs being disposed within and defining first and second parallel support planes, first and second substantially rectangular border frames disposed in said first and second support planes respectively, each frame having edge portions and end portions extending along the outer edges of the end convolutes of the coil springs in the terminal transverse rows and the terminal longitudinal columns respectively, means in said first and second support planes for tying the end convolutes of the longitudinally and transversely adjacent coils together at least one flat band octagonal reinforcing member having a pair of rectilinear longitudinally extending side portions, a pair of integral transversely extending end portions, and four integral rectilinear connecting portions extending between and con- 7 nesting said side portions to said end portions, said reinfor-cing member side portions being less than one-third the length of the border frame edge portions and said reinforcing member end portions being on the order of about one-third the length of said border frame end portions, said reinforcing member side and end portions being centrally superposed with respect to the edge portions and end portions respectively of a respective one of said border frames, the reinforcing member connecting portions extending diagonally across the four corners of the respective frame, and tie Wires helically encircling and interconnecting said border frames, the superposed side and end portions of said reinforcing member, and the outer edges of said end convolutes in the terminal trans,

verse rows and longitudinal columns.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,390 7/1942 Krakauer 5-261 2,509,831 5/1950 Martin 5351 2,547,904 4/1951 Elder 5-260' 2,688,757 9/1954 Bronstien 5-261 X 2,709,483 5/1955 Weinber-ger 5-259 X 2,885,693 5/1959 Wuest 5-260 3,242,505 3/ 1966 Tyhanic 5267 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SPRING UNIT CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A SET OF COIL SPRINGS ARRANGED IN A RECTANGULAR PATTERN IN LONGITUDINAL COLUMNS AND TRANSVERSE ROWS, THE END CONVOLUTES OF THE SPRINGS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN AND DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL SUPPORT PLANES, FIRST AND SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BORDER FRAMES DISPOSED IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT PLANES RESPECTIVELY, EACH FRAME HAVING EDGE PORTIONS AND END PORTIONS EXTENDING ALONG THE OUTER EDGES OF THE END CONVOLUTES OF THE COIL SPRINGS IN THE TERMINAL TRANSVERSE ROWS AND THE TERMINAL LONGITUDINAL COLUMNS RESPECTIVELY, MEANS IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT PLANES FOR TYING THE END CONVOLUTES OF THE LONGITUDINALLY AND TRANS VERSELY ADJACENT COILS TOGETHER, AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS CLOSE-FIGURE REINFORCING MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF RECTILINEAR SIDE PORTIONS AND A PAIR OF INTEGRAL INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS INTERCONNECTING THE CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS SAID REINFORCING MEMBER SIDE PORTIONS BEING SHORTER THAN AND DISPOSED CENTRALLY IN SUPERPOSED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE EDGE PORTIONS OF ONE OF SAID BORDER FRAMES, EACH REINFORCING MEMBER INTERMEDIATE PORTION EXTENDING ACROSS THE ADJACENT CORNERS OF SAID ONE BORDER FRAME INTO SUPERPOSED RELATION WITH A CENTRALLY DISPOSED LENGTH OF THE ADJACENT END PORTION OF SAID FRAME, AND TIE WIRES HELICALLY ENCIRCLING AND INTERCONNECTING SAID BORDER FRAMES, THE SUPERPOSED SIDE AND INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID REINFORCING MEMBERS AND THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID END CONVOLUTES IN THE TERMINAL TRANSVERSE ROWS AND LONGITUDINAL COLUMNS. 